Toyland doesn't have to be moneyland

   The daunting task of any parent is deciding which toys your child needs and which ones he doesn't. Which ones you can afford and which ones you can't.
    This only gets worse when you go to the store. A walk inside the local toy store reveals several aisles of toys designated for each age range. How do you decide?
    I recall a few weeks ago when my husband and I went to Toys-R-Us to buy a new baby gate. While there, we decided to look at the toys.
    My husband wanted to look at the Thomas the Train sets, as we already have a train table for when our son is 3. He was blown away by sticker prices of $20+ for a single car.
    We continued looking and came upon the Little Tikes outdoor playsets. Junglegyms, slides, and teetertotters were all on display ranging in price from $50-$600. Ouch!!
    I quickly pointed out to my husband that I recently purchased a junglegym with a slide for $20 at a yard sale. The same one was in the store for $499. I also had bought a house, a teetertotter, a car, and a sand box for under $50 total. All of those items brand new would have been close to $500.
    Sure these things were used and faded, but after power washing them and repainting them, they look brand new.
    So next summer my son will have a toyland that could have cost me $1000, but I spent a tenth of that. Don't you love yard sales?
    As for choosing the best toys for my son, I go with what is on sale or what I can find at a yard sale. You would be surprised what you can get if you look hard enough.

Metal: To Paint or Not to Paint

  We all have them. Those things that are outdated, the wrong color, scratched, and just not aesthetically pleasing anymore. So do you take all those picture frames, nicknacks and other oddities to Good Will?
  That's exactly what I did in the past. I hate having a bunch of stuff that I don't use, so I was always the first to round up a bag of stuff to haul down to Good Will. Now with the economy being the way it is, I am trying to find ways to recycle and reuse.
  So I did an experiment. I had a beautiful framed print that my husband gave me, but I didn't like the frame anymore. It was a silver color and I really wanted it to be dark.
  First, I bought a can of Rust-o-leum's Brown paint for metal, plastic, and wood. I also bought 180 grit sand paper. Second, I removed the artwork and glass from the frame. Third, I gave the frame a light scrubbing with the sand paper and wiped it clean afterwards. Finally, I spray painted the whole thing.
  To look at it, you would never know that I painted it and it only cost me $6 in supplies instead of $50 for a new frame.
  I have since applied this same technique to christmas decorations, door knobs, and even a metal fire place insert. For the fire place insert, I bought the Rust-o-leum High Heat black paint, taped off the fire place, scuffed up the surface as I did with the frame, and went to spraying. It looks great! Again $6 compared to $200+ for a new insert.
  Not only am I saving pennies, but I am keeping a few things out of the local landfills. Go me! Nothing like being "Green" and not even trying.
  So, watch out old metal, here I come!